Continuing the spirit of ‘’bayanihan’’ in the aftermath of severe tropical storm ‘’Opong,’’ the Visayan Electric Co. and Davao Light and Power Co. — distribution utilities of Aboitiz Power Corp. (AboitizPower) — donated over P1.7-million worth of hardware materials to the Masbate Electric Cooperative (MASELCO) for their power restoration activities in the province.

Masbate was among the hardest hit by Opong (international name ‘’Bualoi’’) last September, with MASELCO estimating damage to electricity at P390.3 million. The cooperative reported that, as of the second week of October, just 33.92 percent of consumer connections already had their electricity back on.

Earlier, the National Electrification Administration reported that over 76,000 consumers remained without electricity.

“Kasama ng mga taga-Masbate, ipinapaabot ng MASELCO ang aming taos-pusong pasasalamat sa Visayan Electric at Davao Light na isa sa mga tumutulong sa kooperatiba sa mga importanteng line hardwares and materials na inyong binigay. Malayo ang mararating ng mga ito sa pagbalik ng supply ng kuryente sa mga residente ng Masbate,” said MASELCO General Manager Romeo Aquesta.

“Marami pa po ang dapat gawin, ngunit kami ay tumatanaw ng utang na loob at nagpapasalamat sa tulong at suporta mula sa inyong mga pinuno at kumpanya. Sa pamamagitan ng pagtutulong-tulong, kami ay naniniwala na kaya namin malagpasan ang hamon na ito.”

(Together with those from Masbate, MASELCO extends our sincere gratitude to Visayan Electric and Davao Light, one of those helping the cooperative, for the important line hardware and materials you have provided. These will go a long way in restoring electricity to the residents of Masbate. There is still much to be done, but we are grateful for the help and support from your leaders and the company. By helping each other, we believe we can overcome this challenge)

Visayan Electric and Davao Light – the second and third largest privately-owned distribution utilities in the Philippines, respectively – coursed their donations through the Aboitiz Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of the Aboitiz Group. Coming from Cebu, the cargo contains specialized electrical items like bolts, pole clamps, steel crossarms, and wire.

“Among the identified bottlenecks in power restoration activities is the shortage of line hardware materials. We hope our assistance can help fast track the restoration of electric services and the return to normalcy of homes and businesses in Masbate,” said Visayan Electric officer-in-charge President and General Manager Engr. Mark Anthony Kindica.

“We understand firsthand the difficulty of sourcing these specialized materials. Living out our corporate values of teamwork and responsibility, we’ve helped with supplying these items in aid of power restoration efforts in Masbate,” added Davao Light President and COO Enriczar Tia. “We recognize that the best way to address the immediate needs of those affected by the typhoon is through the cooperation of those within the power industry.”

Visayan Electric and the Aboitiz Foundation also donated relief packs to Cebuano families who were hit by the magnitude-6.9 earthquake last month.

They distributed over 1,000 relief packs to Bogo City and the municipalities of Medellin, Daanbantayan, and San Remigio, which included clean water, ready-to-eat food, and hygiene kits.

Visayan Electric continues to work with the Philippine Red Cross and local government units, while also doing reenergization efforts within affected sites in its service area.

“It’s our bayanihan spirit that makes a difference,” said AboitizPower SVP and COO of the Distribution Business Group Anton Perdices. “We are in a position to help and keep the bayanihan spirit alive as we support communities in recovery and contribute to collective rebuilding efforts.”

Meanwhile, Therma Visayas Inc., the operator of the 300-MW baseload power plant in Toledo City, also donated 1,000 packs of relief goods to Bogo City, Daanbantayan, and Medellin.

Through Operation Tulong, the public service arm of radio station DZRH, AboitizPower and the Aboitiz Foundation donated water filter buckets to Medellin and San Remigio, helping address the residents’ request for clean and potable water.

Developed by non-profit organization Waves for Water, the water filter buckets filter freshwater sources like rainwater, rivers, springs, and deep wells.

As of Oct. 6, the Aboitiz Group — a diversified conglomerate with investments in power, banking and financial services, food, and infrastructure — has given more than P2.7 million in assistance, with 93,681 liters of drinking water, 3,800 food packs, and 2,100 non-food items to over 9,800 Cebuano families affected by the earthquake.